PENNSYLVANIA
ATHLETIC TRAINERS'
SOCIETY
CLASS OF 2018
Edwin “Sandy” Bush
Edwin “Sandy” Bush is a Montrose native from Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sandy has been a NATA member since 1975 and PATS member starting in 1981. Sandy completed his Bachelor’s degree in Health, P.E. and Athletic Training from Lock Haven State College in 1977, under the tutelage of the late David Tomasi, PA HOF member. While at Lock Haven State, Sandy competed on the men’s soccer team, helping lead the Bald Eagles to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Sandy earned his Master’s degree from South Dakota State University in 1981. He returned to his home state and worked alongside PA HOF Dr. Joseph Torg at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Sports Medicine Center from 1981-1983. Sandy would move to Grantham, Pennsylvania and Messiah College in 1983. At Messiah, Sandy was asked to wear many professional hats including: senior lecturer, academic advisor, mentor, head athletic trainer, clinical instructor, practitioner, and program director. As the athletic training program director, he would become the cornerstone for implementing one of the first Christian College accredited athletic training education programs in the nation.
For the past 35 years Sandy has been guiding the Messiah athletic training program with high character and solid morals which he shares with his friendly staff and students. He will be the first to note how blessed he is to be surrounded by such a dynamic and supportive staff that has helped grow the program over the years. The Messiah College mission statement is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service and leadership in church and schools.
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Sandy demonstrates these qualities of service and leadership with friends, staff, students and the community. Sandy has served on over twenty committees at Messiah College. To name a few: Hiring Committee, Professional Development, Safety, Department AD-hoc and Athletics Honors & Awards. Sandy has served on the PATS BOD, chairing the following PATS committees: Governmental Affairs, Clinical Symposium Convention, History and Archives and Honors and Awards Committee. Currently, Sandy serves as the Co-Chair for PATS History and Archives Committee since 2002 and has been a member of the PATS HOF committee since 1997. Sandy was honored with the PATS Service Award in 2003 and the PATS Distinguished Merit Award in 2014. Sandy is a frequent speaker to MD groups, parents, administrators, local high schools and youth organizations promoting the profession of Athletic Training.
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Sandy’s true investment in life is the time and love he has made for his family. Sandy always made time to teach and coach his children in youth sports: his daughter Heather in soccer, Edwin in both basketball and soccer and his youngest son B.J. in soccer. Now he has a grandson Luke who will be on the pitch shortly.
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Sandy resides in Dillsburg with his wife Sheila and the family dog: Moses (AKA the linebacker).
Teresa Zepka
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Teresa Zepka received her BS degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1991, from the University of Pittsburgh. Her MS degree in Athletic Training in 1993, from the California University of Pennsylvania and most recently her PA-C in 2013 from the Physician Assistant Program at Lock Haven University.
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Teresa’s background and experience is varied. She has served as the Head Athletic Trainer for Charleroi High School; Assistant Athletic Trainer/Instructor at Millersville University; Athletic Trainer/Assistant Professor at California University of PA; an Athletic Trainer/Physician Extender at The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and has served as a Physician Assistant- Certified for various medical groups and physician practices in Western Pennsylvania since 2013.
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Teresa has served on numerous committees for Millersville University, California University of Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS), The Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA) and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). Most notably were her efforts with governmental affairs and public relations.
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Her efforts laid the ground work for PR campaigns throughout the Commonwealth and throughout the nation. Her efforts and contributions to educate the public on concussions are immeasurable. In 2009, she authored a grant in which PATS received a $10,000 grant for concussion education. During Teresa’s chairpersonship on the PATS PR Committee, PATS received numerous national PR awards. Teresa efforts laid the groundwork on which all future PR campaigns will be measured.
Teresa’s volunteer service with the NATA and PATS is extensive. She has served and is currently serving on the PATS PR Committee since 1993. She was a member of the Athletic Trainer Advisory Committee to the State Board of Physical Therapy from 1996-2002; She served on the NATA PR Committee from 1998-2004; PATS Board of Directors SC Rep from 2002-05; the PATS Convention Committee from 2002-05; served as the Site Director for the PATS Symposium in 2005; Chaired the PATS PR Committee from 2004-09; served as the Liaison to the Brain Injury Association of PA from 2008-2012 and also the Liaison for the Pennsylvania Society for Physician Assistants from 2013-2017.
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Teresa has been recognized by her peers with awards honoring her outstanding service. In 2004, she received the NATA Public Relations Committee Service Award and the NATA District 2 Service Award. In 2006, she received the PATS Service Award and in 2009, the NATA Service Award.
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Teresa is always willing to lend a hand to the needs of the society. Her love and devotion to the profession of Athletic Training and her commitment to service is unequaled.
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Teresa currently resides in Johnstown, Pa. She is the daughter of Peter Zepka and the late Bette Zepka.
Linda Fabrizio Mazzoli
An innovator and insightful leader in Athletic Training who has been blessed with the ability to identify new challenges and create unique professional opportunities for herself and others is how one might describe Linda Fabrizio Mazzoli, MS, LAT, ATC, PTA, PES; a 2018 Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame Inductee. The Director of the Rothman Institute Concussion Network in Philadelphia, PA, Ms. Mazzoli, a working mother of four and fearless soccer coach, also is the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society and a consultant and Partnership Team Member for Clark Group Associates. Striving always to recognize, hone, and advance her skill set, Linda has never fit into just one professional box. In addition to being a Pennsylvania-licensed and nationally certified athletic trainer, Ms. Mazzoli was credentialed as an athletic trainer in New Jersey and Delaware and EMT in Pennsylvania, currently holds Physical Therapy Assistant registration in Pennsylvania, and has both a National Class D license for youth soccer and Level 1 Diploma recognition as a coach from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
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We in Pennsylvania were blessed to initially identify Linda’s outstanding talents in 1994 when she was in her very first professional position with Nova Care. It was then that sports medicine entrepreneur and Philadelphia native, Pat Croce, allowed Linda Mazzoli to spread her wings and soar, moving from the Ridley High School Athletic Trainer position to eventually becoming, in 1998, the National Director for Athletic Training Services and Director of Program Development for his then-mega national sports medicine corporation.
This is also when the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society (PATS) first benefitted from Ms. Mazzoli’s expertise and experience when she agreed to serve as the Society’s Co-Chair of the Clinical AdHoc Committee. The timing of this selection is very important, because it occurred when only a handful of singularly-credentialed Athletic Trainers worked in full-time positions within sports medicine clinics nationally. Today, approximately 20% of Athletic Trainers nationally work in clinic, corporate or industrial practice settings. Linda Mazzoli went on to be elected to the Southeastern Representative to the PATS Board of Director and later was appointed as Parliamentarian for that Board. Her outstanding work for PATS has been recognized with the PATS Service Award in 2004 and the PATS Distinguished Merit Award in 2012. Linda’s successful performance as Co-Chair of the PATS Revenue & Reimbursement Committee and her work developing the “value recognition” model for Athletic Trainers parlayed itself into NATA national leadership positions including a 5-year stint as Chair of the NATA’s Council on Revenue and at least 7 other NATA committees and task forces. Her leadership contributions at the national level also have been recognized by her peers across the United States with the NATA’s Service Award in 2010 and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2014.
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Linda’s dedication and exceptional work ethic, which she often attributes to her mother’s and sister’s influence, also have led Linda Mazzoli to partner in Summit Sports Training Facilities and eventually open her own business, Quin Tech Health Services, a company that outsourced health, wellness, and prevention services delivered by athletic trainers. This company was later bought out by Benchmark Medical, Inc. who had the foresight to retain Linda as a Vice President of Clinical Services after the transition. Linda’s work for Benchmark contributed to the growth and generation of millions of dollars in revenue. Before taking her current position, Linda Mazzoli also spent seven years as the Director of Marketing and Professional Development for the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute at Cooper University Hospital and had a brief two-year stint as the Chief Operating Officer for an international and domestic electrical power manufacturing firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Linda Mazzoli received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from West Chester University, her Master of Science degree in injury prevention and performance enhancement from California University of PA, and her Associate of Science degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant from Harcum College. Linda is the proud mother of Dominic, David, Maya, and Mykah; and loving daughter of Barbara Fabrizio Smyth and the late Francis Fabrizio.